Sierra Mist

Sierra Mist Ruby Splash "Rainbow" Creature, Seattle

MDC

Crispin Porter + Bogusky

Burger King "CEO" Crispin Porter + Bogusky, Miami

2 thumbs down.... Out of all the work Crispin has done for BK this is one of the weakest, most un-imaginative. I guess I just have high expectations for Crispin since they do such edgy and creative, sometimes cooky stuff. I was not impressed by this spot for BK. 

VitroRobertson

Kyocera "Fungus" VitroRobertson, San Diego

I like how this commercial is making fun of cell phone commercials in a way. Some of them can be so lame and repetitive. I think that this commercials tries to make fun of that, which is a nice change of pace. 

Cliff Freeman & Partners

Snapple "Bubble Wrap World" Cliff Freeman & Partners, San Francisco 

I am a huge fan of Snapple ads, they are always good. Cliff Freeman has had the Snapple account since 2004 and they continue to make great spots for Snapple. 

Quiznos "Evil Hand" Cliff Freeman & Partners

Kirshenbaum Bond

Tab Energy Drink "Ugly" Kirshenbaum & Bond, New York

A lot of people were offended by the Tab Energy Drink campaign and the way it targeted women. I am not one of those people, I actually really liked the campaign and found it entertaining. Yes, it was playing off the stereotypes of women, but all the ads were done in a funny way, some people need to lighten up, Kirshenbaum Bond did a great job. 

Havas

Arnold Worldwide

Jack Daniel's "Representative" Arnold Worldwide Boston

Hershey's Kisses "Off to work we go" Arnold Worldwide, New York

This really reminds me of the ads done by Wieden for Honda (Cog), and for Coke (Happiness Factory). It doesn't really bother me, however, that the ideas are so alike because this is such a nice commercial to watch and when it comes down to it, everybody loves a good imaginary machine, I think that is why the game MouseTrap was always so popular. 

Euros RSCG

Chivas "Chivalry" Euro RSCG, New York

There definitely is not enough chivalry in this world in my opinion--Its great that there is a beverage out there for the ones who are left. I liked the feel of this commercial and the message it is portraying, if only that message could catch on to some of the guys in America.

McKinney

Coldwell Banker "Phone" McKinney, Durham 

Coldwell Banker "Houses" McKinney, Durham 

This commercial has such a simple idea but it is executed so entertainingly. I love seeing all the houses and different architecture and at the end I still know what the commercial is for. In comparison to the first ad for Coldwell by McKinney, I think this second one does a much better job at conveying a message, the first one was a little too corny and made the company seem a little behind the times because those old guys were just figuring out what an I-Phone is. 

Cool Ad

Timberland "Delirium" Leagas Delaney, London

I found this ad on Lurzer's Archive. I had never heard of the agency Leagas Delaney before, but I thought that this ad was so beautifully done.  It is very "The Perfect Storm-esque". I love ads that are like miniature movie trailers.

Leagas Delaney is an independent agency out of Paris and they have offices all over Europe. It will be interesting to see if Leagas Delaney will eventually be bought out.

Wieden + Kennedy

Honda "Lights" W + K Amsterdam

Wow! I wonder how long this took them. Another beautiful ad for Honda from Weiden. All the work that they do for them is so peaceful feeling. For example, the ad that is being shown right now where they make music from the tires on the road. And like this next ad...

Honda "Keep Doing" W+K London

The message of this ad is so simple, do better, which is why I love that they chose such a simplistic way to execute it. Honda and W+K always leave you feeling positive after you watch one of their commercials. 

Heineken "Let a Stranger Take You Home" W + K Portland

Showing drunkeness in a fun-loving way! I love it... however, I am pretty sure this cabbie might have been drunk.

Nike "T-Shirts" W+K Portland

Interesting that W+K did a spot for Dick's sporting goods and Nike together. Lance Armstrong should probably work on his acting skills... he is not the typical Nike spokesperson, but overall this is a mediocre ad from Weiden, I would expect more out of them. 

ESPN "When a Stranger Calls" W+K Portland

All the Sports Center spots are so funny. I think that you have to understand baseball to get this ad (I had to watch it a few times) but it is very funny. Weiden does a good job on sports, Nike and a lot of great ESPN spots.

Bartle Bogle Hegeraty

ADESF "Bin Laden" Neogama/BBH, São Paulo, Brazil

This is a really clever incentive to get people to stop smoking. Another ad in this campaign said that in 2034 it will be too hot to wear clothes, live to see it, stop smoking. It is interesting to me that advertising in Brazil is becoming socially responsible and trying to get people to stop smoking, hopefully the trend will be more dominant in US advertising. 

Johnnie Walker Whiskey "Crossroads" BBH London

All of the work that BBH does for Johnnie Walker is outstanding. Like Absolut, Johnnie Walker is an example of a parody product that advertising gives a deeper meaning to. The advertising alludes to, that if you drink Johnnie Walker you are a deep and introspective individual, seeking more. 

J20 "Riviera Truck Stop" BBH London

Sooo weird, but soo funny. There is another ad in this campaign called "Cynthia" that is equally as funny as this one. 

Levi's "Dangerous Liason" BBH London

Very racy. Bu.t I love the way they portray the decades of styles of their jeans. The music is also perfect. All recent work done for Levi's is so edgy.

Lynx "Caveman" BBH London

These ads are much less offensive when they are in cartoon form, a smart move to be able to more racy things, just make cartoons out of the people.

Not Cool Enough

Microsoft "I'm Not Cool Enough to be a Mac Person" Crispin Porter + Bodusky

This ad is part of the new PC campaign by Crispin Porter. I feel bad for PC because no matter how hard they try, they really never will be as cool as Mac... I don't even think great advertising could help them at this point. Even when they call it like it is and say they are not cool enough, reverse psychology is jut not working here for me. On a positive note, they are getting a lot of buzz about these new ads. 

This guy from Jersey clearly has an opinion.... He is a little obnoxious but I like how much he is making fun at this ad. Although this guy is not the smartest guido on the block, I think this guy's response to the ad shows the overall dislike of the "I'm a PC" campaign. 

Publicis Groupe

Publicis

LG "Cartooner" Publicis Modern London

This commercial has the dry humor that screams England. Sadly, I think if this ad aired in America many Americans would believe that the cartooner was a real innovation and call their local cable provider and request they have it. 

Sweet 'n Low "Lighter Desserts" Publicis S&S Guayaquil, Ecuador

Saatchi & Saatchi

T-Mobile "Life is For Sharing" Saatchi & Saatchi, London

This was probably one sight to see. It really reminds me of what Secret Weapon did for Jack-in-the-Box, with the people they planted to have their cell phones out. Except of course, this really did happen in a Liverpool train station. 

Leo Burnett

Shelter "House of Cards" Leo Burnett, London

Another beautiful and powerful ad. The whole concept is very moving and really cool to watch. This whole campaign was done pro bono for the UK organization "Shelter". 

Fallon

Traveler's Insurance "Delivery" Fallon London

I love this whimsical spot for Traveler's. On Youtube some people have said it reminds them of Tim Burton's "Big Fish". While, I can see that, this man also really reminds me of the creepy guy in the messenger hat who walks up and down Mockingbird. All joking aside, this is a really cool way to think about insurance. 

Alpo, Outdoor, Fallon

The entire Alpo campaign done by Fallon is so great. This ad in particular is so funny. The tag line is "Real Dogs Eat Meat". I love how they are positioning the product as "non-sissy" dog food--the Miller High Life for dogs!

Kaplan Thaler Group

Trojan "Make Each One Special" The Kaplan Thaler Group, New York

This ad is probably the most tasteful of all the Trojan ads done by Kaplan. I think they should make all their ads more like this one and not like the ones we are used to seeing. 

Team One Advertising

Boost Mobile "Party" Team One

Interpublic

McCann Erickson

Heineken "One Green Bottle" McCann Erickson, Dublin

Great song--it adds such a cool mood to this ad. I really love the idea that a beer bottle is having a flashback of their life and everything it has been through. A really cool way to personify an object. 

MasterCard "Icons" McCann Erickson New York

I don't know if it is because I have seen this ad so many times because it is so overplayed or what but it is so annoying!! The whole concept of having cartoon icons in a commercial is so overdone. We have been seeing these cartoon icons in commercials that are not in their product since the Got Milk ads with Pilsbury and the Trix rabbitt. Frankly, I think it is overdone, and in this case, not even executed well. 

The Martin Agency

Wal-Mart & Coca-Cola "Extended Family" The Martin Agency

It's cool that this ad is for both Walmart and Coke.. it has the happy, love life Coke feeling and I like how it is not obnoxiously promoting either brands. A feel-good ad.

TM Advertising

Nationwide Insurance "Coops Paint" TM, Dallas

At first sight, you don't even realize this is an insurance advertisement. I really like how the Nationwide sign is subtly on the side because you really have to look at the sight to figure out what is going on.

Draftfcb

Oreo "Milk's Favorite Cookie" (Guerrilla) Draftfcb New York

Lowe 

Axe "Get a Girlfriend" Lowe Bull, Johannesburg

Stella Artois "Le Courage" Lowe Brindfors, Stockholm

This ad is so cinematic. It is also very 1984-esque, with the voice, the text and general movie feel. It won a Cannes Lion. I think it is very cool, however, I do not really see where it is that original. Maybe I am missing something. 

Carmichael Lynch

Ikea "Live Better" Carmichael Lynch

I was trying to find more information on this ad but came up a little short. Looks like it was banned from airing and only aired once.... I don't know if that was from a reliable source. However, I found the spot quite entertaining.

Gibson "Empress" Carmichael Lynch

Hill Holliday

Dunkin Donuts "Fritalian" Hill Holliday, Boston

I never saw this ad before going onto the Hill Holiday website but I think it is really funny. Dunkin Donuts has it hard, they are not like Starbucks, who don't really have to advertise... it's nice to see an ad for a place like Dunkin Donuts that is a little out of the ordinary and creative.

Deutsch

Playstation 3 "Lunatics Unite" Deutsch

This ad is so fun to watch and the art direction of it is truly ambition. It is perfect for the game it is advertising for as well. In comparison to the work that TBWA has done for PS3, I like this ad more. The TBWA ads are a bit to eery and creepy for my liking, then again, I don't think a 20 year girl is really who they were going after with them.

Mullen

Boston Bruins "Date" Mullen Wenham, USA

These commercials are so funny. Mullen does a great job and really captures the humor of some sports fans. 

Campbell Mithun

AbovetheInfluence.org "Disposable Friend" Campbell Mithun, Minneapolis 

This campaign received a lot of press, some positive, some negative. The criticisms of the campaign were mainly that the campaign was offensive and played off of way to many stereotypes. I would say although this campaign has good intentions, I would have to agree about the stereotype criticism. I think that campaigns like "Truth" are much more effective at reaching teens.  

Dailey & Associates

Stanford "FM Synthesizer" Dailey Los Angeles 

This ad really shocked me... It seems like a YouTube video, but it is an ad for Stanford?? I am impressed with the sense of humor of such prestigious institution. 

WPP

Ogilvy and Mather

Pfizer-Viagra "Bed" Ogilvy & Mather, Mexico City

The best part about this ad is the picture next to the bed. It is a very old school picture so it gives you the impression that the people whose bed this is, are very old. 

Another campaign that Ogilvy is doing right now fo

r Honeycomb is very funny. It is about Beeboy, a boy raised by bees. The commercials are very strange but the website beeboy.org is even funnier. You can read studies done about Beeboy and even watch videos of him in the wild. 

Young & Rubicam

Sharkfin Project: Fin, Y & R, Frankfurt

This envelope is a message against the action of "finning", in which people cut of the fins of sharks and then throw them back into the ocean to suffer. Finning is leading to the extinction of many types of sharks. This is very original work done by Y & R and sends out a very powerful message. 

JWT

Lipton Brisk "DeVito" JWT New York

An oldie, but a goody... I remember seeing this ad a while back, it aired for awhile. It was during that time period when claymation was the cool thing to do and that show on MTV with the clay celebrities boxers, "Celebrity Death Match" was really popular. I was really surprised to see that JWT did this ad because all of their work seems to be more on the "safe" or "serious" side. I think this ad shows their creative and funny side.

Grey

U.S. Elections "Obammcain" Grey New York

This was obviously done for this years presidential election. I would say it is somewhat controversial. However, I believe the message of this ad is to not pay attention to race of the candidates and in lament's terms, don't be racist in choosing who you vote for. Clearly, America does not care about race after Obama won the election by so many votes, I do not think it was because this ad by Grey was so effective. Nonetheless, it is cool to see how they digitally rendered their appearances. 

Omnicom

BBDO

LifeSavers (Wrigley's) "Muffin Top" Energy BBDO, Chicago

This commercial is so funny. DDB does a really nice job with all of the Wrigley's products I think. Especially Lifesavers and Orbit gum. The brand is so well established so I think it would probably be difficult to come up with new and exciting ideas, but they sure do a great job with this very funny ad. 

Mercedes-Benz CLM BBDO, Paris

AMV BBDO

Guinness "Tipping Point" AMV BBDO, London

One of the coolest spots I have ever seen! The production of this must have been quite a job, not to mention very expensive.

DDB

 Milk "Russian Dolls" (Viral) Tribal DDB, Canada 

This ad is very strange. I did not really expect this from DDB, but I like how they show their weird side. It is a good thing this ad is viral because I am not sure that many people would really like the whole Borat voice thing. 

Centraal Beheer "Acupuncture" DDB Amsterdam

This ad was done for an insurance company in the Netherlands. I think it is very different from some of the insurance ads we see in America ( i.e. Allstate, Geico).

TBWA Worldwide

Gatorade Tiger "Never Quit" TBWA/Chiat/Day/LA

Gatorade is a new client for TBWA. I think that it is interesting for TBWA that Tiger is their spokesperson considering his very close ties with Nike ( I think he is also a spokesperson for Nike) because of their Nike rivalry and their Adidas account. I wonder how they feel about working with him... just a thought.

Playstation 3 "If Fun Didn't Matter" TBWA\London

180 

Adidas "Gold Doesn't Play Favorites" 180 Amsterdam

A lot of Adidas ads are done by TBWA\. It is really interesting to see the contrasts of Adidas work by TBWA like the "Impossible Huddle" which I posted on my blog in an earlier post, and this ad. The feel is a lot different. In this 180 ad, the words are very important. TBWA uses more visual solutions to the "Impossible is Nothing" campaign. 

Another ad I found from 180 L.A. was this one for Amstel, http://www.180la.com/#page=media;item=177 , I think it is so creative and so different for a beer commercial.

Goodby Silverstein

Tostitos "East End Blues" Goodby, Silverstein

Frito Lay Dips "Love & Sockets"

I absolutely love this new campaign for Frito-Lays chips and dips, "Made for each other". All of the ads I see for it are so beautifully put together. Also, I love the idea of chips and dips being made for each other because IT IS SO TRUE! After watching these ads, although they are not really about the product itself, you know exactly what the ads are advertising and you agree with it to because who doesn't feel that chips and dip could not coexist one without the other.

Dieste Harmel & Partners

Pepsi "Tacos" Dieste, Dallas

Being from Chicago, and being a huge Cubs fan, we no longer like Sammy Sosa, however, I still think this ad is great and remember thinking when it first aired a few years back that it was very cute. 

GSD&M Idea City

U.S. Air Force "Girls Often Dream About the Day they will Change Their Name" Idea City, Austin

I really like this ad from Idea City for the Air Force. I like that it is so obvious who they are trying to target, yet not in an offensive or annoying way at all like some military advertising. 

Idea City also does a lot of work for Southwest Airlines. Here are a few pictures of I found of a campaign they did where they painted Southwest planes with different themes:

LatinWorks

ESPN LatinWorks, Austin, TX

Although this commercial is entirely in Spanish, you do not really have to understand the language to know what is going on here. The line at the end of the spot says you don't need to see to feel, you also don't need to know spanish to get the point. LatinWorks does a really good job of making great spots for Latin Americans, they are all so versatile. 

Martin|Williams

Not for Sale "Shadow Puppets" Martin|Williams, Minneopolis

This commercial reminded me a lot of the Amnesty Internation spots done by TBWA. Although I think this is cool, I think that the TBWA spots are a little more powerful. Nonetheless, this spot is very artfully done. 

VW then vs. now

Then

1962 DDB New York

This commercial reminds me of the simplistic ads done by Bernbach for VW like "Think Small" and "Lemon". This ad is not complicated and says exactly what it means... I like this straight to the point style.

"An Honest 25 mpg" 1973 DDB New York

"La Grande Bug" 1975  DDB New York

Quite a contrast from the first two ads, this ad is much more kitschy and in my opinion, is trying to hard. I think I read that this ad aired during the superbowl which might be a reason why they were trying so hard. Nonetheless, I think the first 2 ads are much more effective than this ad. 

"Changes" 1987 BMP DDB Needham (London)

So 80's, so fabulous. Again, DDB uses a celebrity(sorta).. although, I like this ad much more than the Zsa Zsa ad from the 70's. This commercial was what this model was most famous for, so I don't know if you can really call her a celebrity. 

Now

 "Sunday Afternoon" 1997 Arnold Worldwide

VW goes to Arnold. The ads done by Arnold have a completely different feel. They flow nicely and are always accompanied by really cool and chill music. This ad also reminds me of the ad by Arnold for VW "synchronicity". 

"Big Day" 2001 Arnold Worldwide

Another ad by Arnold with cool music and great flow. These ads are beautiful to watch and this one in particular is like a movie trailer. 

"Machos" 2004 DDB Germany

In Europe, the account was still held by DDB. This ad might have been a little too sexual to air in the states. In the states at this time, Arnold lost the VW account and went to Crispin because sales were down majorly. 

2006 Crispin Porter & Bogusky

In an effort to raise sales for "V-dub" they offered free guitars as incentive to buy a VW. In 2006, Cripsin launched the "German Engineer" and "Safety Happens" campaigns.

Early Coca Cola vs. Recent Coca Cola

Circa 1890s "Drink Coca Cola 5 cents" 

This ad features a famous actress from the era named Hilda Clark.

 This ad fascinates me because it is so hard to believe that this is the same Coke being advertised as today. It is also interesting to look at how Coca Cola was using celebrity endorsers even in the 1890s! Aside from the Joe Green ad, Coke does not seem to use very many celebrities in their current advertising, that is really more of a Pepsi thing.

1938 "Thirst Asks Nothing More" D'Arcy Agency

1955 "There's Nothing Like a Coca Cola" McCann Erickson, New York

This commercial is so funny. I cannot believe how long it is for one, and also advertising back then was so plain and simple. The spokesman here talks to the audience as if they are truly stupid. 

1959 "Be Really Refreshed" McCann Erickson, New York

1975 "Look for the Real Things" McCann Erickson, New York

This ad is one of my favorites! Its all about being united, feeling happy and loving others--just like the Coke ads today, you feel happy after seeing how happy these people from this commercial are while drinking Coke. 

1982 "Coke Is It!" McCann Erickson New York

1993 "Always Coca-Cola" Creative Artists Agency

I love the "Always" campaign, once again, more ads that make you feel happy from Coke. 

2007 "Video Game" W + K Portland

Old De Beers vs. New De Beers

OLD

1993, J. Walter Thomspon

1999 "Diamond Solitaire" J. Walter Thompson Company

I just love both of these ads. They are so classic and say just enough, without saying too much. The silhouette is something that many ad's have tried to copy-- I think the black and white definitely adds to the romance of them as well. The ad is trying to say that diamonds are classic, they will never go out of style. The B & W is also classic and helps to connect the meaning of "A Diamond is Forever". 

NEW

2001 "Theatre" J. Walter Thompson

 

2001 "Tree" J. Walter Thomson
 

These more recent TV spots are far different from the first 2 old ones. They tell romantic stories, yes, however, I just don't like them as much as the classic ads. Where the stories are very sweet, they are almost too much. They are almost too corny for me to watch, and I am not anti-romance, I love a good romantic comedy. 

"Eve" 2005, Les Ouvriers du Paradis United, Paris
This print ad was one of a series of many. It is so different from the other De Beers ads that we see, especially the print ads which are mostly black and white. It was done by Les Ourvriers du Paradis, which is an ad agency out of Paris. I like how the work is different from the ads done by JWT, however, this ad definitely looks more like your typical jewelry ad or the typical jeweler's ad. I think this might be one of those cases where you shouldn't fix what isn't broken. Nonetheless, the ads of this campaign are pretty, just not classics. 

Super Bowl Ads

My Faves:

Bud Light "Meeting", DDB Chicago

I liked this commercial. It may not have been the most creative but it made me laugh a lot more than the some of the other ones. It was not the typical beer commercial macho man humor either, which is one of the things I really liked about it. DDB Chicago had some really funny ads this year, especially the Conan one with the Euro music, and with exception to the Bud Light Lime "sphere of summer" which just didn't have much business being a Superbowl ad. I am also not a huge fan of the Clydesdale commercials for Budweiser, but maybe some people are since they have been airing them for so long.

Cars.com "David Abernathy", DDB Chicago

This was a very interesting approach for cars.com. I didn't feel like they were trying to sell you something, just tell you a story. The selling part is subtle, which I like because it ties into their slogan so nicely " confidence comes standard".

Bud Light "Conan O'Brien" DDB, Chicago



I personally love Conan O'Brien so I think that this ad is hilarious. Again, DDB did a good job this superbowl!

The best overall ad in my opinion was the "Hang in there Jack" ad. I just think it was an ingenious campaign, that is still going on. It is like a soap opera and the amount of free advertising they are receiving is huge! I love the concept.

Can't Believe These Aired During the Superbowl:

Cash4Gold.com Agency: Euro RSCG Edge

Is this ad for serious? I seriously cannot figure out if they were purposely trying to make this commercial so terrible just so people would remember it. Maybe, because this ad was on lists for being most-memorable. http://adage.com/article?article_id=134300... Even though this ad may have been memorable I don't think it is worth the embarrassment.

Castrol "Grease Monkeys", Ogilvy and Mather New York-
I thought that this ad was almost trying to emulate a beer commercial. Obviously, it is not trying to appeal to 20 year old college females, however, I do not think it is trying to repulse them either. I feel bad for whoever had to be apart of the production of this ad.


GoDaddy.com "Baseball", In-house

Apparently, GoDaddy was dropped as a client from their old agency in Madison, WI. It is not hard to imagine after seeing these tasteless, humorless, ads that they created on their own. Not only are the offensive, they are just downright stupid.

Advertising as Art

#1 Honda Accord "Cog", Wieden & Kennedy, London

Besides from the obvious awesomeness of the way that this machine works, I believe that the ad itself is an example of advertising as art for a variety of reasons. For one, the machine flows beautifully, the viewer feels as if they are gliding right along with each part of the "cog". Each sound the "cog" projects is just as audibly appealing as the process is visually intriguing--you just want to keep watching in awe. Secondly, this ad is an example of the art of communication. As popular as this ad is, as many people and not just the ones studying advertising have seen it, it was never released through traditional media outlets. It is the product of viral advertising, nonetheless, it is extremely effective in my opinion.

#2 Coca Cola "Happiness Factory" Wieden + Kennedy Amsterdam
This commercial is just so well-done. It engages you as a viewer and is just so thoughtfully creative. It reminds of what a little kid would imagine going on inside of a vending machine. It is wistful and leaves you feeling happy because of the paranormal universe that Coke has created.

#3 Amnesty International "Ink" TBWA/Paris
The message and execution of this ad are beautiful. Not only is it deep, it is moving. I think that TBWA does a great job dealing with the serious, and possibly uncomfortable topic of human rights. This ad, however, it the opposite of "hard to watch advertising".

#4 Adidas "The Impossible Huddle" TBWA/Germany

 

If this is not art I do not know what is. This piece of non-traditional advertising, done by TBWA/Germany was put inside of a train station just before UEFA Euro 2008 (equivalent to the Olympics of soccer). It is 56 ft tall and each figure is supposed to be a famous soccer player! It is called "Impossible Huddle" because each of the players are all-stars and are all from different countries. I think that this is one of the coolest piece of non-traditional advertising I have ever seen! TBWA/Germany also did another piece for Adidas called "The impossible Goalkeeper" which is also pretty incredible.